BRADENTON — At Thursday’s Manatee County Commission land use meeting, commissioners voted unanimously on a continuance for its wetland policy reversal after state agencies provided an onslaught of negative comments, citing a unique interpretation of a state statute passed in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
In 2023, the previous board voted 6-1 to gut the county’s wetland protection policies after successfully defending them multiple times in court. Despite being advertised as “county-initiated,” it was later revealed to be driven by local developers. When staff members declined to make the requested recommendation, an outside “consultant” was brought in to do so.
The issue was front and center in the August 2024 Republican primary when candidates who were against the gutting of the wetland protections and not funded by developers won in a clean sweep. After they were seated, the new board immediately sought to reverse the policy…